I went to visit the Falkirk Wheel in Scotland today. It is the only place in the world where I decided to visit after watching a video a recommended video on Facebook — purely because, I believe, the machine (aka the algorithm) has learned my love for crazy yet ingenious solutions to problems.

This spinning engineering marvel connects two canals together in a circling motion. The surrounding area is turned into a park that provides educational resources about engineering principles that inspire the lift, while having lots of kids friendly activities for the entire family to enjoy.

Opened in 2002, this rotating boat lift connects the Forth & Clyde Canal with the Union Canal in central Scotland. It uses a pair of gondolas to raise boats by 24 meters (79 feet) in a single rotation, replacing a previous system of 11 locks and providing a unique and efficient solution for canal transportation.

- Canon EOS R8

- Canon RF 24-105 f/4L IS USM

Falkirk Wheel, Scotland, UK / Crazyisgood / SML.20240806.R8.07987

Marina Bay is a bay located in the Central Area of Singapore surrounded by the perimeter of four other planning areas, the Downtown Core, Marina East, Marina South and Straits View. The area surrounding the bay itself, also called Marina Bay, is a 360 hectare extension to the adjacent Central Business District.

The Sydney Opera House, designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, has been photographed tirelessly since its opening. That makes it harder to find a point of view that may be of interest.

I have often found its roof to be most interesting, so I try to capture its spirit in an abstract manner. To get this view, you really need a long lens—400mm here—because there is no way to get the same view up close with a wide angle. This also shows that the 100-400 is not just for birds and moons photos. It definitely has its use even when traveling.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM.

Sydney Opera House / Sydney, Australia / SML.20140315.6D.30926.P1.BW

The Rhine Falls (German: Rheinfall) is a waterfall in Switzerland, Europe.

The falls are located on the High Rhine on the border between the cantons of Schaffhausen and Zürich, between the villages of Neuhausen am Rheinfall (SH) and Laufen-Uhwiesen/Dachsen (ZH), next to the town of Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland.

The bovine soul array (牛魂陣) originates from the witchcraft tradition of the Miao minorities in China. They enjoy a bullfighting game called “bull robbing,” where the horn is treated as a symbol of bravery. They believe that wearing artefacts from the bulls would transform them into brave warriors. By adorning their bodies with the horns, bull heads and bull tooth, they would then be able to communicate with deities and ghosts.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM in Sanya, Hainan, China.

牛魂陣 Bovine Soul Array / 苗族文化 Culture of the Miao minorities / 中國海南三亞 Sanya, Hainan, China / SML.20140507.6D.32199.P1.BW

People hung out by the lake inside the Beishan Park (北山公園) with the cityscape of Jilin (吉林) in the far back.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 100-40mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM.

Bridge / 中國東北吉林市北山公園 Jilin Beishan Park, Dongbei, China / SML.20140727.7D.52133.P1.BW

A tattoo convention—the first of its kind—was recently held in Hong Kong. Tattoo is traditionally much of a taboo in Chinese culture, so I went to check it out.

This image captures the spirit of the event best. Unlike many conventions which have sales people talking non-stop, this convention is mostly silent, with men (and women) lying down patiently waiting for skilled tattooist to needle ink onto their skin while the artists patiently wait for the work to proceed while layers of skin heals over the entirety of the day.

Most of the photographs I have taken from this day was made possible mostly because of the excellent low-light high ISO performance of the 6D combined with the super 100-400 which allows me to photograph people from afar without alerting their attention.

The event was held at the InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong from October 4-6, 2013. www.hktattoocon.com/

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-10-13T19:41:49+0800

+ Dimensions: 5301 x 3534

+ Exposure: 1/320 sec at f/5.6

+ Focal Length: 260 mm

+ ISO: 4000

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ GPS: 22°20'12" N 114°10'32" E

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

男忍 Men of Patience / 第一屆香港國際紋身展 1st International Hong Kong China Tattoo Convention 2013 (HKTattooCon) / SML.20131006.6D.30157.BW

/ #HKTattooCon #TattooCon #Photojournalism #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #紋身 #Tattoo #男 #Men #SMLMen #黑白 #BW #SMLBW

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #人 #忍 #patience

This is the facade of the Water Cube (水立方) looking from the inside to the outside. The outer wall is based on the Weaire–Phelan structure, a structure devised from the natural pattern of bubbles in soap lather. Each bubble has its own unique shape—no single shape is alike. Ground was broken on December 24, 2003, and the Center was completed and handed over for use on January 28, 2008.

The total construction cost was ￥940 million yuan / $ 140 million USD / € 94 million EUR. Architects responsible for the work include PTW Architects, CSCEC, CCDI, and Arup.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM.

# More Information

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_National_Aquatics_Center

水立方北京國家游泳中心 The Water Cube, Beijing National Aquatics Center / 中國北京體育建築之形 Sports architecture forms in Beijing, China / SML.20140502.6D.31821.P1.BW

With the growth of cities, many people from Chinese villages also moved to the urban area hoping for a better life. But as you can see, life is hard and jobs are not necessarily readily available for everyone.

Pictured is a woman kneeling down and begging for change in a dire yet sincere manner, and a man working hard to collect trash into a cart wheel.

艱苦的生活 Hard life / 中國北京南鑼鼓巷 Nanluoguxiang, Beijing, China / SML.20140503.6D.31995.P1.SQ.BW

It was raining all day when I visited Chang Bai Mountain (長白山). It was also very cold and I ended up shivering the entire time. I ended up not taking my tripod with me mostly because of the weight, so I turned to time-lapse stacks for long exposures again.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM. 8-second LE via median stack of 11.

河水 River / 中國東北長白山 Chang Bai Mountain, Dongbei, China / SML.20140726.6D.33208-SML.20140726.6D.33218-St.BW

The Great Wall of China (長城) is a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical northern borders of China in part to protect the Chinese Empire or its prototypical states against intrusions by various nomadic groups or military incursions by various warlike peoples or forces. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century BC; these, later joined together and made bigger and stronger, are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall.

Juyong Pass (居庸關 Jūyōng Guān) is one of the three greatest mountain passes of the Great Wall of China. The other two are Jiayuguan (嘉峪關) and Shanhaiguan (榆關). Juyongguan Pass has two ‘sub-passes,’ one at the valley‘s south and the other at the north. The southern one is called "Nan (pass)" and the northern is called “Badaling” (八達嶺).

This is the first time I have been to Juyong Guan. Personally I prefer the view at Badaling better, though Juyong Guan is considered the more important point of interest for tourism.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM.

# More Information

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juyong_Pass

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China

居庸關長城 Juyong Pass, Great Wall / 中國北京 Beijing, China / SML.20140501.6D.31562.P1.BW

I went to Tai O, a small fishing village in Hong Kong, where people live in houses literally built on top of water.

It’s a break that I really needed. Because of what I do now, it’s fairly hard for me to take long vacations anymore, so having this 2-day mini trip within Hong Kong was the best thing that had happened to me for a long time.

I will write about why I couldn’t plan longer trips later — but this thing that I do full time now, while in some ways give me complete freedom in time, it’s a bit like being on call 24/7/365. Unless I could get Supercell to commit to not making any changes to the game for a week, I couldn’t very easily go travel — because changes to the game could literally break the site in such way that could potentially mean turning all the efforts I have in the past 7 years into dust.

It’s something that I will continue investigate if I could find a way to solve. I would really like a real vacation

A three-legged pot hung from the ceiling is heated by the piles of wood in the large fire pit.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM in Sanya, Hainan, China.

煮食 Cooking / 黎苗少數民族文化 Culture of the Li and Miao minorities / 中國海南三亞 Sanya, Hainan, China / SML.20140506.6D.32025.P1.BW

This capture has most of the elements that I look for in this series. God rays: check. Wild patterns on the water surface: check. Tiny boats on the water surface which references that of Chinese traditional paintings: check. Puffy clouds on the distant: check. The only thing it lacks is some more dramatic clouds on the top. But still, what are the chances? I shall meditate on this to will it to happen…

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-08-25T17:58:43+0800

+ Dimensions: 5038 x 3358

+ Exposure: 1/250 sec at f/11

+ Focal Length: 17 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ GPS: 22°25'10" N 114°13'26" E

+ Location: SML Universe HKG

+ Workflow: Lightroom 5

+ Serial: SML.20130825.6D.26876.BW

+ Series: 寧 Serenity

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

風暴雲光 God rays during the storm / 寧 Serenity / SML.20130825.6D.26876.BW

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #HDR #SMLHDR #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #landscape #自然 #Nature #cloudscape #clouds #storm #godrays

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9688106256/

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9688106256/sizes/o/ (5038 x 3358)

Designed by Arquitectonica, the building complexes at 貝沙灣 Residence Bel-Air located at 數碼港 Cyberport feature many of the key ingredients in Hong Kong’s luxury residential properties, as well as some WTF sceneries:

+ “風水洞 Feng Shui Hole”, the hole in the middle of the building which allows the dragon to fly through.

+ High density which soars to the sky. Higher density means more space around for scenery. This allows everyone to have a good view.

+ Ocean view. No one wants to be looking at humans when they are indoors. Well, I don’t.

+ Clothes hanging dry on the balcony. Hong Kong does not have a lot of space so everyone regardless of their income level dry their clothes outside. Truly WTF, yes I know.

+ Swimming pool with a view. This seems almost standard. There is a swimming pool at my place, too. But alas they are always surrounded by buildings so if you are super-private like me you will never swim there. Public swimming pools actually are more private because at least no one can see you.

Pictured is the view from the balcony of one of the apartments at 貝沙灣 Residence Bel-Air. Stitched together using 16 RAW captures with the 6D + 17-40 f/4L, processed with Autopano Giga 3.0 and Lightroom 4.

# References

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberport

2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arquitectonica

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-06-08T15:36:07+0800

+ Dimensions: 11226 x 3996

+ Exposure: 1/200 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 17 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ Panorama FOV: 262 degree horizontal, 95 degree vertical

+ Panoramic Projection: Spherical

+ GPS: 22°15'20" N 114°7'57" E

+ Location: 香港數碼港貝沙灣 Residence Bel-Air, Cyberport, Hong Kong

+ Workflow: Autopano Giga 3.0, Lightroom 4

+ Serial: SML.20130608.6D.15455-SML.20130608.6D.15471-Pano.Spherical.262x95.BW

+ Series: 建築 Architecture, 形 Forms, 全景攝影 Panoramic Photography

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

“數碼港貝沙灣 Residence Bel-Air, Cyberport” / 香港住宅建築全景之形 Hong Kong Residential Architecture Panoramic Forms / SML.20130608.6D.15455-SML.20130608.6D.15471-Pano.Spherical.262x95.BW

/ #建築 #Architecture #全景 #Pano #SMLPano #形 #Forms #SMLForms #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #landscape #城市 #Urban

Using her feet as supports for her tools, a Miao (苗族) woman sits on the floor to knit traditional Hmong textile art for sale at the store nearby.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM in Sanya, Hainan, China.

# More Information

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hmong_textile_art

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miao_people

苗族紡織藝術 Miao (Hmong) Textile Art / 中國海南三亞 Sanya, Hainan, China / SML.20140507.6D.32163.P1.BW

A young boy took a deep breathe and blew out a string of bubbles at Harbin Sidalin Park (斯大林公园), a park situated on the promenade to the Songhua River (松花江). In the background, locals and visitors alike hung out by the river during the brief summer days in Heilongjiang, China.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM.

吹泡泡 Blowing Bubbles / 中国黑龙江哈尔滨斯大林公园 Sidalin Park, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China / SML.20140728.6D.33422.P1.SQ.BW

In Beijing, hutongs (胡同) are alleys formed by lines of siheyuan (四合院), traditional courtyard residences. Neighborhoods were formed by the interconnection of these alleys, and the word hutong can also sometimes be used to refer to such neighborhoods.

The alleys are long and narrow, so while you can walk around on foot, the best way to see the hutongs is to go with one of these rickshaw rides (pictured), which functions similar to a hop-on / hop-off transport around the neighbourhoods.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM in Beijing, China.

# More Information

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hutong

胡同三輪車 Hutong rickshaw ride / 中國北京 Beijing, China / SML.20140503.6D.31918.P1.BW

A man of Li and Miao descent (黎苗族) works on rattan sculptures with his legs fully extended on the floor.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM in Sanya, Hainan, China.

黎苗族籐藝 Rattan arts by Li and Miao minorities / 中國海南三亞 Sanya, Hainan, China / SML.20140507.6D.32177.P1.BW

Every weekend, crew teams from different universities practice at Tolo Harbour. Pictured is the team from The University of Hong Kong (HKU 香港大學), noted by its abbreviation 港大 seen on the tank top of of of its crew members. According to their Facebook page [1], the club has been around since 1981.

I am particularly drawn to the delicate lines of the boats as well as the patterns each cox makes on the water surface.

I have attempted multiple times to capture them on video but it is fairly hard with my current setup. The 7D combined with the 100-400mm gives a combined equivalent focal length of 640mm on the zoomed-out side. This means any minute movement will result in camera shake.

At the moment I do not have any geared head and anyone with a ball head knows that getting precise positioning in a quick action shot is not really doable. I guess I will just have to get closer to the surface — but by the time I reach the ground floor they are usually gone. Tricky business.

# References

1. www.facebook.com/hkurowclub

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-07-24T15:51:32+0800

+ Dimensions: 5184 x 3456

+ Exposure: 1/640 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 400 mm

+ ISO: 1000

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ GPS: 22°25'10" N 114°13'24" E

+ Location: SML Universe HKG

+ Subject: 香港吐露港 Tolo Harbour, Hong Kong

+ Workflow: Lightroom 5

+ Series: 體育 Sports, 男 Men, 形 Forms

+ Serial: SML.20130724.7D.48405.BW

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

水花 Splash (Water blossoms) / 香港大學學生會划艇會 Rowing Club HKUSU / 香港水上體育運動之形 Hong Kong Water Sports Forms / SML.20130724.7D.48405.BW

/ #體育 #Sports #男 #Men #SMLMen #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #形 #Forms #SMLForms #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #人 #people #攝影 #摄影 #photography #赛艇 #Rowing

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9444806952/

This is a 360-degree panorama of the bus terminal located at the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier in Hong Kong. Located at the south-most corner of Kowloon, it is the ideal location for bus companies to plan their last stop shuttling to other parts of Hong Kong.

The KMB (Kowloon Motor Bus) company started many of its first bus routes from this terminus, as noted by the bus numbers on the station, which ranges only in single digits — as opposed to the double- or triple-digit route numbers seen in most parts of Hong Kong.

Directly adjacent to the station (center in this photo) is the Star Ferry pier, which provides passenger ferry service to Hong Kong Island.

In this panorama, I have heightened the shadow area to expose the rust and dust of the awning covering the station. I am attracted to its geometric architectural forms and years of decay. You probably would not notice them when you walk by as they are well within the shadow areas, but as a lover for deadly objectives, it was a wonderful find for me.

Stitched together with 12 captures with the 6D + 17-40 mounted on the Manfrotto 303SPH pano head.

# References

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsim_Sha_Tsui_Ferry_Pier

+ zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/尖沙咀天星碼頭

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-08-08T15:39:50+0800

+ Dimensions: 18417 x 4648

+ Exposure: 1/50 sec at f/16

+ Focal Length: 17 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ Accessories: Canon TC-80N3, Manfrotto 303SPH pano head, Manfrotto tripod

+ Panorama FOV: 365 degree horizontal, 96 degree vertical

+ Panoramic Projection: Spherical

+ GPS: 22°17'38" N 114°10'8" E

+ Location: 香港尖沙咀天星碼頭巴士總站 Bus Terminal, Star Ferry Pier, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

+ Workflow: Autopano Giga 3, Lightroom 5

+ Serial: SML.20130808.6D.26177-SML.20130808.6D.26189-Pano.i12.360x96

+ Series: 人流 Human Logistics, 建築 Architecture, 全景攝影 Panoramic Photography

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

尖沙咀天星碼頭巴士總站 Bus Terminal, Star Ferry Pier, Tsim Sha Tsui / 香港人流建築360度全景 Hong Kong Human Logistics Architecture 360-degree Panorama / SML.20130808.6D.26177-SML.20130808.6D.26189-Pano.i12.360x96.BW

/ #人流 #HumanLogistics #全景 #Pano #Panorama #SMLPano #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #城市 #Urban #people #bus #traffic

I went out to have a boat ride. Marks are left on the ocean by boats long sailed by. Faintly at a distance you can see a boat along the horizon.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM in Sanya, Hainan, China.

Swoosh / 中國海南三亞 Sanya, Hainan, China / SML.20140507.6D.32141.P1.BW

I went to PolyU to see a drama performance last week, and just like my sources at the university has mentioned, the bamboo scaffolding on the Innovation Tower is completely gone, and now you can see the organic forms of this magnificent architecture soaring to the sky.

As I last wrote [1], Zaha Hadid is one of my all-time favorite architects, and this will be her first permanent fixture in Hong Kong. Truly it is incredible.

I was just passing by, and it was super late at night, but here you see why usable high ISO matters. This was shot with the 6D + 17-40. It was shot handheld with 3 exposures. Without a tripod it is not really technically ideal to try at HDR but thanks to the modern marvels of technology, the features are aligned nicely.

Trust that I will go back during the daytime when I have a chance.

# Notes

1. “Bamboo Scaffolding Unveiling: Innovation Tower by Zaha Hadid” / 香港理工大學建築之形 Hong Kong Polytechnic University Architecture Forms / Crazyisgood / SML.20130425.6D.03058: www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8683120814/

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-07-30T21:44:40+0800

+ Dimensions: 3376 x 5107

+ Exposure: 1/13 sec - 1/30 sec at f/4.0

+ Focal Length: 17 mm

+ ISO: 500 - 12800

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ GPS: 22°18'20" N 114°10'49" E

+ Location: 香港理工大學 Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong

+ Workflow: Lightroom 5, Photomatix Pro 4.2.5

+ Serial: SML.20130730.6D.24784_5_6.HDR.BW

+ Series: 建築 Architecture, 形 Forms

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

Zaha Hadid: Innovation Tower / 香港理工大學建築之形 Hong Kong Polytechnic University Architecture Forms / Crazyisgood / SML.20130730.6D.24784_5_6.HDR.BW

/ #建築 #建筑 Architecture #形 #Forms #SMLForms #BW #SMLBW #HDR #SMLHDR #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects #Crazyisgood

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #理工大學 #PolyU #攝影 #摄影 #photography #ZahaHadid

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9453328136/

We walked by a shopping mall that looked abandoned, but the construction has not started yet. I like the irony of the mess inside contrasted with the Chinese writing on the front, which translates to: “Happy Families Shopping Mall Welcomes You”. I was in a hurry so I did not explore further.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM in Sanya, Hainan, China.

被遺棄的商場 Abandoned shopping mall / 中國海南三亞 Sanya, Hainan, China / SML.20140506.6D.32068.P1.BW

30-second long exposure with an ND filter.

Personally I would have preferred the 4-inch filters so I can drop in after I have set the focus, but I can’t seem to find them in Hong Kong. But I found this variable filter recently: the H&Y ND2-ND400 specifically. It is a screw in, and when set to minimum ND2 I can still see the scene fairly clearly as well as able to focus using the AF on the camera. After I have the parameters set, I dialled it to ND400 and expose everything manually.

I think that I should be able to push a little longer next time. What I observed is that because of the wind, the plants appear to move quite a bit and thus rendering a blur. So next time I would try to do a 2-minute if I am able to.

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-04-10T14:44:17.63+0800

+ Dimensions: 4743 x 3162

+ Exposure: 30.0 sec at f/22

+ Focal Length: 40 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ Accessories: Canon TC-80N3 Remote, Manfrotto Tripod, H&Y ND2-ND400

+ GPS: 22°25'8" N 114°13'16" E

+ Altitude: 21.9m

+ Location: 中國香港馬鞍山恆明街2號聽濤雅苑二樓花園 Garden, 2nd Floor, Vista Paradiso, 2 Hang Ming St, Ma On Shan, Hong Kong, China

+ Serial: SML.20130410.7D.37680.BW

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Series: 寧 Serenity, 自然 Nature

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

“假山流水 Water flowing amongst rockery” / 寧 Serenity (Long exposure with ND Filter) / SML.20130410.7D.37680.BW

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #自然 #Nature #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #水 #Water #石 #Rocks #山水 #Landscape #longexposure #ND

After some recent success photographing panorama with the 100-400, I tried to photograph the cloudscape with the super telephoto to see if I can get similar results. What I aim for, as always, is the resolution which a regular lens would not provide

Unlike landscape which I can easily determine whether or not I have made a shot, I find the abstract forms in the sky a bit harder to track. So I will likely get a pano head soon. For now I have somewhat decided that I would just go with the Manfrotto 303SPH instead of the robotic heads.

Photographed with the 6D + 100-400. 20 image stitch inside Autopano Giga 3, processed in Photoshop CS6.

# SML Transalate: 千層雲匯

+ 千: a thousand.

+ 層: layers.

+ 雲: clouds.

+ 匯: converges.

+ 千層雲匯: a thousand layers of clouds converge.

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-06-13T18:52:13+0800

+ Dimensions: 21440 x 4048

+ Exposure: 1/160 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 190 mm

+ ISO: 125

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ Panorama FOV: 43 degree horizontal, 16 degree vertical

+ Panoramic Projection: Planar

+ GPS: 22°25'9" N 114°13'25" E

+ Location: SML Universe HKG (Vista Paradiso, Ma On Shan, Hong Kong, China)

+ Workflow: Autopano Giga 3.0, Photoshop CS6, Lightroom 4

+ Serial: SML.20130617.6D.16226-SML.20130617.6D.16245-Pano.i20.43x16.BW

+ Series: 寧 Serenity, 自然 Nature, 全景攝影 Panoramic Photography

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

千層雲匯 / 香港日落全景之寧 Hong Kong Sunset Panoramic Serenity / SML.20130617.6D.16226-SML.20130617.6D.16245-Pano.i20.43x16.BW

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #全景 #Panorama #Pano #SMLPano #自然 #Nature #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #雲 #Cloud #天 #空 #Sky

This is a panorama of the Victoria Harbour stitched together using 13 full-resolution handheld 6D RAW captures.

I used to avoid taking photographs at “touristy” spots, but I really hope to document the change of the architectural landscape over time, and so I will be doing more of these in the future.

On the left hand side of the photo, there is a crane doing some heavy lifting on the sea. Most of the newer skyline of Hong Kong were built upon landfills, so my guess is that they are probably in the process of reclaiming more lands.

This was photographed at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade looking across the harbour so what you see in the middle is Wan Chai with the unmistakeable HKCEC. The tallest building in the center is Central Plaza. The gigantic object rising on the right is IFC (International Financial Centre).

Densely packed skyscrapers against rolling hills is one of the key distinctive features of Hong Kong which is unusual when compared to other international metropolis in the world.

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-04-12T15:37:34+0800

+ Dimensions: 9517 x 2688

+ Exposure: 1/160 - 1/250 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 40 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

+ Panorama FOV: 136 degree horizontal, 60 degree vertical

+ Panoramic Projection: Cylindrical

+ GPS: 22°17'36" N 114°10'21" E

+ Location: Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade, Hong Kong

+ Subject: Hong Kong Island + Victoria Harbour

+ Workflow: Hugin 2012, Lightroom 4

+ Serial: SML.20130412.6D.00198-SML.20130412.6D.00210-Pano.Cylindrical.136x60

+ Series: 山水 Landscape, 全景攝影 Panoramic Photography

“城市山水 Urban Landscape” / 香港維多利亞港全景 Hong Kong Victoria Harbour Panorama / SML.20130412.6D.00198-SML.20130412.6D.00210-Pano.Cylindrical.136x60

/ #全景 #Pano #SMLPano #建築 #建筑 #Architecture #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #Landscape #城市 #Urban #Seascape #Harbor

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8671813930/

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8671813930/sizes/o/ (9517 x 2688)

Sometimes the simplest things are the most beautiful. These are water patterns left behind by the boat during my boat ride in Sanya.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM.

水 Water / 中國海南三亞 Sanya, Hainan, China / SML.20140507.6D.32155.P2.BW

Originally I had come here to do time-lapse of the sunset, though right before I started the timer, I was working on an HDR panorama of the scenery, and had forgotten to turn off AEB (auto-exposure bracketing) setting when the timer started running. So what ended up happening is that I now have a series of HDR time-lapse footage.

In the perfect world, perhaps, these captures will automatically be stacked to HDR, then perhaps with a script I will be able to batch-process them throughout. But since I have not yet figured out how to do this, here I present you with a still capture from one of the series, here I present you with one of the HDR captures instead.

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-08-07T19:02:31+0800

+ Dimensions: 5431 x 3621

+ Exposure: 0.4, 1/20, 1/160 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 17 mm

+ ISO: 400

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ Accessories: Canon TC-80N3, Manfrotto tripod / head

+ GPS: 22°23'16" N 114°11'58" E

+ Location: 香港沙田翠榕橋 Banyan Bridge, Shatin, Hong Kong

+ Subject: 香港沙田城門河 Shing Mun River, Shatin, Hong Kong

+ Workflow: Photomatix Pro 4.2.5, Lightroom 5

+ Serial: SML.20130807.6D.25123-24-25.HDR.BW

+ Series: 寧 Serenity, HDR

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

如上以下 As above, so below / 香港沙田城門河之寧 Hong Kong Shatin Shing Mun River Serenity (BW HDR) / SML.20130807.6D.25123-24-25.HDR.BW

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #HDR #SMLHDR #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #landscape #自然 #Nature #cloudscape #clouds

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9501334606/

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9501334606/sizes/o/ (5431 x 3621)

A surfer walks down the beach holding a water bottle and a pair of flip flops.

Photographed at Manly Beach with the Canon EOS 7D + Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM.

Surfer / Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia / SML.20140317.7D.51926.P1.S1.BW

Most of my friends who work in finance work in this building or the IFC next door—whereas I usually come here to dine in many of the restaurants downstairs.

The Exchange Square (Chinese: 交易廣場) is a building complex located in Central, Hong Kong. It houses offices and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange [1].

It is also one of my favorite architectures in Hong Kong—featuring a beautiful striped facade accented by curves and lines.

Unlike IFC (also pictured: the skyscraper going upwards to the clouds to the left) which besides being super tall but otherwise have rather dull character, this cluster of buildings designed by Palmer & Turner and completed in 1985 (Phase 1 + 2) 1988 (Phase 3) is a feast to look at. Like many of the architectures in Central, its entrance is located not on the ground floor but the pedestrian footbridge level.

On the fourth floor is 翠玉軒 The Square, one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. I was told that the view up there is spectacular also—but I am not a banker so I won’t know for sure. But one of these days I will try to make it up there to see what the fuss is all about. Stay tuned…

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-03-26T18:04:04.85+0800

+ Dimensions: 5184 x 3456

+ Exposure: 1/50 sec at f/2.8

+ Focal Length: 28 mm

+ ISO: 500

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

+ GPS: 22°17'1" N 114°9'29" E

+ Altitude: 150 m (I am beginning to think that the altitude reading on the Canon GP-E2 cannot really be trusted)

+ Serial: SML.20130326.7D.36611.BW

+ Series: 建築 Architecture, 形 Forms, 黑白 Black and White

# Notes

1. Wikipedia: Exchange Square (Hong Kong): EN: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exchange_Square_(Hong_Kong)

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

“交易廣場 Exchange Square” / 香港中環金融建築之形 Hong Kong Central Financial Architecture Forms / SML.20130326.7D.36611.BW

/ #建築 #建筑 #Architecture #形 #Forms #SMLForms #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #中環 #Central #攝影 #摄影 #photography #城市 #Urban #金融 #Finance

As we walked by the shore, small boats carrying lumps of fallen branches sail by. Workers were lifting the fallen branches as well as trash from the lake. The hard work of these workers has certainly paid off. The water of the Houhai Lake is as pristine as it could possibly be.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM.

潔湖工人 Lake cleaning crew / 中國北京後海 Houhai Lake, Beijing, China / SML.20140503.6D.31957.P2.BW

The night was calm and quiet, until I heard music which sounded like ice cream trucks coming and going everywhere. At first I thought that it was weird — why would they come at this hour? Apparently, those were garbage trucks! In Taiwan, they are equipped with speakers that play music to alert citizens to take out their trash. It was truly bizarre.

I had no tripod with me so I shot this two-image “pano” handheld at ISO 8000.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L. Processed in Lightroom 5 + Photoshop CC 2014 + Autopano Giga 3.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamsui_District

淡水夜全景 Tamsui Panorama at Night / 台灣台北 Taipei, Taiwan / SML.20140212.6D.30717-SML.20140212.6D.30718-Pano.i2.C.L.P1.BW

/ #台灣 #臺灣 #Taiwan #台北 #Taipei #SMLTravel #旅遊 #旅游 #Travel #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #淡水 #Tamsui #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #Pano #SMLPano

Emperor’s path to the Hall of Supreme Harmony with black and white edits to accentuate the dragon marble carvings.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM at Forbidden City, Beijing, China.

太和殿 Hall of Supreme Harmony / 中國北京紫禁城 Forbidden City, Beijing, China / SML.20140430.6D.31410.P1.BW

Two runners run side by side at the “You Can Shine 馬拉松新丁育成訓練計劃,” a weekly meetup intended for new comers to get familiarise with marathon runs (aka 長跑 long run in Chinese). It takes place every Thursday at the Ma On Shan Sports Ground at 7pm [1]. A lot of these runners wear shirts with 香港長跑網 longrun.hk logos, a community online for people who enjoy marathons [2].

Taken with the 6D + 100-400 at 12800 ISO — my new walk around setup at night. Processed as BW because grains are more forgiving then color noise for some reasons…

# Notes

1. Facebook: You Can Shine 馬拉松新丁育成訓練計劃: www.facebook.com/YouCanShineMaLaSongXinDingYuChengXunLian...

2. 香港長跑網: www.longrun.hk/

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-05-02T20:30:45+0800

+ Dimensions: 5472 x 3648

+ Exposure: 1/250 sec at f/5.6

+ Focal Length: 400 mm

+ ISO: 12800

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ GPS: 22°25'15" N 114°13'38" E

+ Location: 中國香港馬鞍山恆康街1號馬鞍山運動場 中国香港马鞍山恒康街1号马鞍山运动场 Ma On Shan Sports Ground, 1 Hang Hong Road, Ma On Shan, Hong Kong, China

+ Workflow: Lightroom 4

+ Serial: SML.20130502.6D.03782.BW

+ Series: 體育 Sports, 男 Men

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

“長跑 Long Run (Marathon)” / 香港體育 Hong Kong Sports / SML.20130502.6D.03782.BW

/ #體育 #Sports #男 #Men #SMLMen #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #馬鞍山 #MaOnShan #人 #people #攝影 #摄影 #photography #跑 #Run #長跑 #Marathon

I enjoy works which have multiple levels of reading — the macro view vs the micro views. For these kinds of captures, however, I have wished that I would have the tools which have a high enough resolution (detail) for both views to register.

From afar (or if you view the photo as a thumbnail), you should see some very abstract lines. There are horizontal lines running from top to bottom, large strokes which are left behind by ships. From left to right, there are curves which is a reflection of the water current, ever so slightly.

But as you look closer, you would see that there are some tiny lines which go across the the frame. There is a tiny figure on the lower left, which is in fact a person windsurfing on the surface. There is in fact another person windsurfing at the far end of the sea also.

At the macro level, you will see the reflected sun as molten silver, which is another level of reading.

The figures in this photographs are participants of an otherwise abstract image. If the windsurfers are the focus, I would have photographed him directly with a long lens, which you can in an earlier capture shot at 400mm [1].

Life action shots cannot really be tiled easily, so as much as I would have loved to shoot the whole image with a 400mm, it could not possibly register as a single continuous image. Maybe if I have an array of 400mm + cameras? Or maybe a large format can do. 20 years later when I have that budget, perhaps. For now, just this bit.

# Notes

1. 滑浪風帆 Windsurfing / 香港水上運動 Hong Kong Water Sports / SML.20130526.7D.42169: www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9107548809/

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-05-26T16:29:26+0800

+ Dimensions: 5472 x 3648

+ Exposure: 1/800 sec at f/9.0

+ Focal Length: 70 mm

+ ISO: 100

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM

+ GPS: 22°25'10" N 114°13'33" E

+ Location: SML Universe HKG

+ Workflow: Lightroom 5, Photoshop CC

+ Serial: SML.20130526.6D.15016.P1.BW

+ Series: 寧 Serenity, 自然 Nature, 抽象 Abstract, 形 Forms

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

水 Water / 自然抽象之形 Nature Abstract Forms / 寧 Serenity / SML.20130526.6D.15016.P1.BW

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #自然 #Nature #抽象 #Abstract #形 #Forms #SMLForms #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #山水 #Seascape #windsurfing #sports

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9709341714/

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9709341714/sizes/o/ (5472 x 3648)

Chinese guardian lions, traditionally known in Chinese simply as Shi (獅, literally “lion”), are a common representation of the lion in pre-modern China. Statues of guardian lions have traditionally stood in front of important Chinese architectures, and were believed to have powerful mythic protective benefits.

The lions are usually depicted in pairs. When used as statuory, the pair would consist of a male resting his paw upon an embroidered ball (in imperial contexts, representing supremacy over the world) and a female restraining a playful cub that is on its back (representing nurture).

Pictured is one of the bronze guardian lions outside the Gate of Supreme Harmony (太和門), the second major gate encountered when entering the Forbidden City from the south.

Photographed at the Forbidden City in Beijing, China with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM.

# More Information

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_guardian_lions

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gate_of_Supreme_Harmony

太和門青銅獅 Bronze guardian lion at the Gate of Supreme Harmony / 中國北京紫禁城 Forbidden City, Beijing, China / SML.20140430.6D.31382.P1.BW

Buses in Hong Kong serve an important function—it transports people traveling long distances between remote areas and downtown. Although the metro (MTR) is fast, it is also very crowdy. The last thing you want after a day of work is stand inside a compressed train being pushed around.

Pictured is a bus terminal located in Central, the financial district in Hong Kong. It is situated at the ground level of Exchange Square, the building which also houses the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. A time lapse video of this area can be seen earlier in the stream [1].

This 360-degree panorama was stitched together using 15 captures on the 6D + 17-40 f/4L mounted on the Manfrotto 303SPH. Many people walked by as I was photographing this, but you do not really see them as this was shot with a relatively long exposure. I do this intentionally to hide the identity of the pedestrians.

# Notes

1. 香港中環 Hong Kong Central / 人流 Human Logistics 延時攝影 Time Lapse Photography / SML.20130717.6D.20604-SML.20130717.6D.21 490-TL

+ www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/9328613536/

+ vimeo.com/70688674

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-07-17T19:21:35+0800

+ Dimensions: 18332 x 5467

+ Exposure: 0.8 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 17 mm

+ ISO: 400

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 6D

+ Lens: Canon EF 17-40 f/4L USM

+ Accessories: Manfrotto 303 SPH pano head, Canon TC-80N3, Manfrotto tripod

+ Panorama FOV: 360 degree horizontal, 95 degree vertical

+ Panoramic Projection: Cylindrical

+ GPS: 22°17'3" N 114°9'28" E

+ Location: 香港中環交易廣場巴士總站 Exchange Square Bus Terminal, Central, Hong Kong

+ Workflow: Autopano Giga 3, Lightroom 5

+ Serial: SML.20130717.6D.21492-SML.20130717.6D.21506-Pano.i15.360x95.Cylindrical.BW

+ Series: 人流 Human Logisitics, 全景攝影 Panoramic Photography

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

交易廣場巴士總站 Exchange Square Bus Terminal / 香港中環人流全景 Hong Kong Central Human Logistics Panorama / SML.20130717.6D.21492-SML.20130717.6D.21506-Pano.i15.360x95.Cylindrical.BW

/ #人流 #HumanLogistics #全景 #Pano #Panorama #SMLPano #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #中環 #Central #Urban #city #people

(B/W edit)

This is one of Chiang’s official state cars, donated by overseas Chinese in the Philippines. The 1955 GM-manufactured Cadillac is a four-door, seven-seat limousine that measures 610 (L) x 200 (W) x 163 (H) cm and weighs three tons. It is fitted with bulletproof glass and other security measures. Chiang, however, only used the vehicle once.

In countries that have indigenous automobile manufacturers, the government will usually commission one of the national automakers to provide a state car, or allow several to provide cars for an official state fleet. That the Taiwanese government picked something from an American manufacturer certainly shows the intimate relationship between the US and Taiwan.

Also of note is the car plate, which reads 0888. In Chinese language, the number 8 sounds similar to the word for abundance and good fortune, and is often the preferred number used for car plates, street numbers, cell phone numbers, etc.

# More Information

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Official_state_car

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Chiang_Kai-shek_Memorial_Hall

蔣中正總統座車 Chiang’s official state car / 中正紀念堂 Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall / 台灣台北 Taipei, Taiwan / SML.20140213.6D.30806.P1.L2.BW

/ #台灣 #臺灣 #Taiwan #台北 #Taipei #TW #SMLTravel #旅遊 #旅游 #Travel #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #cars #Cadillac #security #government #GM

Every popular tourist destination comes with at least one or two living statues. Almost all are covered in paint from head to toe. I cannot imagine what a hard life it must be to support one’s living this way, especially at this weather.

Photographed near No.2 Wharf, Circular Quay, Sydney Australia with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L.

Living statue street performer / Sydney, Australia / SML.20140314.6D.30892.BW

Putrajaya (Jawi: اللجوء) is a planned city, located south of Kuala Lumpur, that serves as the federal administrative centre of Malaysia.

I found it funny that there is a “Manly Ferry” at the pier. Is there a girly ferry somewhere also? It turns out that Manly is a surf beach in Sydney frequented by both locals and tourists. I did eventually go and it did not disappoint.

Photographed at Wharf 3, Circular Quay in Sydney with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L.

Manly Ferry / Sydney, Australia / SML.20140314.6D.30902.BW

The 嶺大划艇 Lingnan University Rowing Team took their boat out from storage towards the docks to train for a university championship to be held on the next day.

When these boys walk towards me, I would have guessed that they were much younger. But then I noticed the sign on the boat, which reads “Lingnan University,” that’s when I realised that they were in fact university students in Hong Kong.

As they became aware of the camera, a few managed to make the defacto hand-sign in Asia—V for Victory. Personally I would have wished that they would just go about their own business, but I suppose it is very hard to not notice a giant telephoto lens pointing at them from just a few meters away…

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-08-09T16:17:57+0800

+ Dimensions: 5172 x 3448

+ Exposure: 1/400 sec at f/5.6

+ Focal Length: 300 mm

+ ISO: 200

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ GPS: 22°23'25" N 114°12'3" E

+ Location: 香港沙田賽艇中心 Shatin Rowing Centre, Hong Kong

+ Workflow: Lightroom 5

+ Serial: SML.20130809.7D.49242.BW

+ Series: 體育 Sports, 男 Men

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

猛日移船 Moving the boat under fierce heat / 嶺大划艇 Lingnan University Rowing Team / 香港水上體育運動 Hong Kong Water Sports / SML.20130809.7D.49242.BW

/ #體育 #Sports #男 #Men #SMLMen #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #人 #people #攝影 #摄影 #photography #賽艇 #赛艇 #Rowing #嶺大划艇 #LURowing #嶺大 #boys #summer

High contrast black and white edit for that weathered look + feel.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L USM.

保和殿 Hall of Preserving Harmony / 中國北京故宫 Forbidden City, Beijing, China / SML.20140430.6D.31455.P2.BW

This series of rings support the aqueduct linking the upper canal (Union Cana), ending with the Falkirk Wheel, used to trasport ship from and to the lower canal (Forth & Clyde Canal).

Historically, these two canal were connected by a series of 11 locks. After the construction of the wheel in 2022, boats can travel the 24 meter (79 feet) difference in 5 minutes.

Falkirk Wheel Pano / SML.20240806.R8.07914-07924.Pano.BW

+ Left: 青雲洞 (青云洞 “Green Cloud Cave”)

+ Right: 象鼻峰 (象鼻峰 “Elephant Trunk Peak”)

+ Center: 泰安市 (泰安市 The city of Tai'an) in 山東省 (山东省 Shandong Province), 中國 (中国 China).

Pano photography is always challenging to crop because often you will need to decide which parts are more interesting and which part can be taken out because the rendered image is often not in rectangular form. As usual, processing the same image in black and white afforded much more room for creative freedom.

# SML Workflow

The different versions use a different pano distortion adjustment algorithm so dimension varies.

## Color version

+ Adobe Lightroom 4: 7D RAW to 16-bit ProRGB TIF

+ Adobe Photoshop CS6: Pano stitched + USM adjustments

+ Adobe Lightroom 4: final correction + metadata tag + sRGB output to Flickr

Color version: 10524 x 2955

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8354397056/

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8354397056/sizes/o/

## Black and white

+ Opened color layered file into Photoshop

+ Adjust Black and White via manual colour filters

+ Apply resulting image with a small amount (~20%) of large-radius USM and set layer to Soft Light (I use this technique a lot to give some “clarity” to the image without over-sharpening things)

+ Import back into Lightroom 4 and use Manual Distortion to “wrap” image further in order to extract more bits in the originally pano’d photo which was in an arch

Black and white version: 10101 x 2352

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8356246935/

www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8356246935/sizes/o/

# SML Data

+ SML.20121011.7D.09602 / ISO 100 - 35mm - f/2.8 - 1/1250 sec

+ SML.20121011.7D.09603 / ISO 100 - 35mm - f/2.8 - 1/800 sec

+ SML.20121011.7D.09604 / ISO 100 - 35mm - f/2.8 - 1/1250 sec

+ SML.20121011.7D.09605 / ISO 100 - 35mm - f/2.8 - 1/800 sec

+ Date: 2012-10-11 10:20:43 GMT +0800

+ Dimensions: 10101 x 2352

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8L USM

+ GPS: 36°14'22" N 117°4'58" E (approximate. No GPS unit available)

Pano: 象鼻峰青雲洞 (象鼻峰青云洞 “Elephant Trunk Peak Green Cloud Cave”) / 山東省泰安市泰山 (山东省泰安市泰山 Mount Tai, Tai'an City, Shandong Province) / 中國旅遊 中国旅游 China Tourism / SML.20121011.7D.09602-09605.Pano.BW.ChinaTourism.Shandong.MountTai

#china #landscape #photography #ccby #smlphotography #smluniverse

Eee-eee-aww-aww eee-eee-aww-aww… That was what it sounded like against some tribal beats blasted out from the heavily amplified speakers. These aboriginal tribes painted with patterns and colors could be seen playing their didgeridoos all day long near the pier which was frequented by both locals and tourists.

For the week that I stayed in Sydney, this was most of the music I heard when I walked out the door. It was hypnotically delicious.

Photographed with the Canon EOS 6D + Canon EF 24-70 f/2.8L at the Rocks in Sydney, Australia.

# More Information

+ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didgeridoo

Aboriginal tribesman + didgeridoo / Sydney, Australia / SML.20140314.6D.30837.P1.BW

It has been cloudy the past few days in Hong Kong so I did not notice the moon. Tonight when I went out to do some panorama shots nearby I noticed the moon in a clear sky. It seems larger than usual.

Later tonight I saw on Louis Seigal’s Facebook feed [1, 2] that supposedly there would be an extreme super moon this weekend. Perhaps that is why?

I had my 7D + 100-400 out with my tripod anyway so here it is. I am learning more and more about moon phases working on these photos. In this almost full configuration, it is known as the Waxing Gibbous Moon (盈凸月).

# Notes

1. www.facebook.com/louis.seigal

2. seigalphotography.com/

# SML Data

+ Date: 2013-06-20T19:54:24+0800

+ Dimensions: 2518 x 2518

+ Exposure: 1/640 sec at f/8.0

+ Focal Length: 400 mm

+ ISO: 1250

+ Flash: Did not fire

+ Camera: Canon EOS 7D

+ Lens: Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM

+ Accessories: Canon TC-80N3, Manfrotto tripod

+ GPS: 22°25'13" N 114°13'40" E

+ Location: 中國香港馬鞍山恆康街1號馬鞍山運動場 中国香港马鞍山恒康街1号马鞍山运动场 Ma On Shan Sports Ground, 1 Hang Hong Road, Ma On Shan, Hong Kong, China

+ Subject: 月 Moon

+ Serial: SML.20130620.7D.42930.SQ.BW

+ Workflow: Photoshop CS6, Lightroom 4

+ Series: 寧 Serenity, 自然 Nature

# Media Licensing

Creative Commons (CCBY) See-ming Lee 李思明 / SML Photography / SML Universe Limited

盈凸月 Waxing Gibbous Moon / 香港夜之寧 Hong Kong Night Serenity / SML.20130620.7D.42930.SQ.BW

/ #寧 #Serenity #SMLSerenity #自然 #Nature #黑白 #BW #SMLBW #CreativeCommons #CCBY #SMLPhotography #SMLUniverse #SMLProjects

/ #中國 #中国 #China #香港 #HongKong #攝影 #摄影 #photography #天 #空 #Sky #月 #Moon #盈凸月 #WaxingGibbous